Career Opportunities

Introduction to SWA/Balsley:  

Join SWA/Balsley to leverage your emerging design, technical and project management expertise into growth and leadership opportunities beyond NYC and into domestic and international projects of all types and scales.

SWA/Balsley is actively seeking a creative, highly skilled Mid-Level Landscape Architect for immediate employment in the award-winning New York City Studio in NoMad.  SWA/Balsley has evolved from Thomas Balsley Associates into a studio whose collaborative environment and philosophy places a high value on design contribution at all phases of a project’s development. SWA/Balsley’s portfolio has emphasis on meaningful, resilient, and sustainable urban public realm projects, such as parks, waterfronts, landscape infrastructure, urban design, and master plans.

In collaboration with ASLA National Design Medalist Tom Balsley and studio leadership, the candidate will work at all stages to support the execution of projects in New York City as well as nationally and internationally. This is a unique opportunity to help shape a new dynamic studio, develop a robust portfolio of built work of the highest design caliber, and additionally engage with SWA – the largest landscape architecture firm in the US with a unique ‘design-first’ reputation – and its firm-wide Design and Field Groups whose purpose is to share the vast knowledge and resources acquired over decades of practice by eight offices worldwide.

About the position:

SWA/Balsley is seeking talented candidates with a minimum of five years of professional experience in landscape architecture or architecture. Dual degree holders in landscape architecture and architecture are highly valued.

Current Projects:

Riverside Park South in New York, Guiyang World Trade Center, Expo 2020 and Dubai Hills Estates, Broadmoor Technology Center in Austin, various NYC parks and plazas, Ballpark Village in St. Louis, The Loop at Texas Live in Arlington, TX., Naftzger Park in Wichita, Montclair State University Quad, Schuylkill Yards in Philadelphia, Jindi Tower Hangzhou Qianjiang Century Town in Chengdu, China, and Paveletskaya Place in Moscow.

This role includes:

• Design and design support with design collaboration, input, and critiques at all project phases
• 3D modeling & rendering
• Producing presentation graphics and presentations
• Project management and coordination
• Assisting in preparation of construction drawings/documents, specifications, and cost estimates
• Leading, attending and participating in meetings
• Work and grow with senior designers on a collaborative team
• Assist in mentoring and developing the skills of entry level landscape architects

Why SWA/Balsley?

• Lead and grow with a new firm with a national design reputation.
• SWA/Balsley places equal design value on all phases and facets of work.
• Opportunities to lead diverse project types of the highest design caliber including national and international public parks as well as on-going and new NYC metropolitan commissions.
• Extraordinary personal leadership and growth potential within SWA/Balsley and the affiliate SWA.
• Opportunities to cross-fertilize with SWA’s eight other studios across the US and abroad.
• Unparalleled benefits package unique to SWA Group including fully funded bonuses, profit sharing, employee stock ownership, full 401k match and generous health insurance.
• Work in the vibrant and centrally located Nomad neighborhood of NYC.

About SWA/Balsley and SWA Group:

SWA/Balsley is a predecessor to Thomas Balsley Associates whose work has earned national and international reputation for award-winning public parks, plazas, and waterfronts designed to the highest standards of social, cultural, and environmental resiliency. SWA/Balsley notable projects include Riverside Park South, Peggy Rockefeller Plaza, Hunter’s Point South and Gantry Plaza Parks, Burj Khalifa, San Jacinto Plaza, Curtis Hixon Park, Perk Park, Osaka World Trade Center, and 51 Astor Place. Our affiliate, SWA Group, is a landscape architecture, urban design and planning firm, with eight locations worldwide—Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, San Francisco, Sausalito, Shanghai, and an affiliate office in New York, SWA/Balsley and 30 principals throughout.

SWA works to develop complete designers throughout their careers versed in concept design through construction, eventually specializing according to their strengths and talents. SWA hires people trained in landscape architecture, architecture, planning, and urban design. SWA is an equal opportunity employer.

As a 60 year old employee-owned company, SWA has some of the best employee benefits in the industry. Profit sharing, Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) contributions, and bonuses are additional compensation to competitive salaries. This adds to full medical coverage, dental insurance, emergency medical and travel assistance, pre-tax commuter checks, paid time off (vacation, sick, holiday), 401K matching contribution to your retirement plan, supplemental paid parental leave, reimbursement of testing for licensure, and H1B sponsorship in the U.S. where applicable.

Minimum Requirements:

• Accredited Degree in Landscape Architecture or Architecture
• A minimum of 5 of years professional experience in a design office (landscape architecture, architecture or urban design)
• Strong problem solving, critical thinking skills, analysis
• Attention to detail and organization
• Strong communication skills (written and verbal)
• Effective time management skills
• Leadership qualities and ability to take initiative; self-motivation
• Positive attitude and sense of accountability
• Project management/project coordination experience
• Experience with design and technical documentation and specifications
• Proficiency in:
  • AutoCAD 2014+
  • Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, esp.)
  • Microsoft Office
  • 3D modeling (SketchUp or Rhino)
  • Google Earth Pro

Preferred Qualifications:

• Licensed in the State of New York or ability to obtain license within 2-3 year.
• Lumion
• Revit
• Grasshopper
• ArcMap/ ArcGIS
• Bluebeam Revu
• Hand sketching

Apply:

• Portfolio (PDF, 20MB max.)
• Resume/CV (word or PDF)
• Contact info for 2-3 references
• Cover letter

Send materials in PDF format to zgu@swabalsley.com.  We will carefully consider your application during our initial screening and will contact you if you are selected for an interview in person or by video-conference.